Powder dispenser



April 3, 1956 G. G. wlTTwER POWDER DISPENSER aaaaaaaa I INVENTQR George G. IVwef7 BY ATT NEYS Filed July l0 1952 I n 1 if POWDER DISPENSER George G. Wittwer, Chappaqua, N. Y., assignor to Lethelin Products Company, Inc., Mount Vernon, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 1o, 19`sz,`seria1 No. 298,116

3 Claims. (ci. 43147) My invention relates `to a powder dispenser, and, more particularly, to a powder dispenser for holding and dispensing insect powder or the like.`

It is a principal object of my invention to provide insect powder dispensing means simple in construction', easy to manipulate, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is another objectto provide a powder dispensing device which may Ibe readily filled and refilled.

`Another object is to provide a powder dispensing bulb with simple means for holding the same in place and which itself may have means for holding a closure or division sheet in place between the body of a can and the bulb.

It is another object. to provide a powder dispensing can of more or less conventional construction and tol provide a novel dispensing bulbwhich may be secured to the can over either the normal bottom or the normal top, so thatthe can may be filled or refilledthrough the top or the bottom. i f

Other objects and various features of novelty and invention will hereinafter be pointed out or will become apparent to those skilled in the art. 1

In the drawings which show, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

Fig. l is a central, vertical, sectional view through a powder dispenser illustrating features of the invention;

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are views similar to Fig. l, but each illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating still another modification.

ln said drawings, I have illustrated a can or container for holding insect powders or powders of any` character that it is desired to dispense. The container inz the form shown in Figs. l and 2 comprise a cylindrical can which may be formed of metal, paper, fibre, plastic, or the like, and provided with a bottom closure 6 which is crimped over in the normal fashion so yas to form a permanent bottom closure for the can. Such a bottom closure may be formed of the same material as the can or of la different material, as desired. The top of the can shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a top member 7 which is crimped in the normal and usual manner over the top of the body of the can so as to be permanently secured thereto. The top member 7 is provided with a large opening 8` defined peripherally by an inturned flange 9.

In the form shown in Figs. l and 2, there is a loose division sheet between the top of the can and a dispensing bulb 1t) secured to the top of the can. In the form shown in Fig. l, the division sheet or closure is a sheet or disc 11 which rests on the top member or annulus 7, while in Fig. 2, the division sheet 12 is a more or less standard friction closure plug or closure cover fitting friction-tight within the annular flange 9. The division sheet 11 normally rests directly on the topv closure 7 and is held in place by the dispensing bulb 10. The division sheet 12 in Fig. 2 is held in place by a friction-tit between the division sheet 12, and flange 9, as is common with closure tops of the sort shown. The bulb in Fig. 2 may United States Patent Ol 2,740,229 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 ICC or may not engage the friction closure or division sheet 12, but, as will be later described, the bulb preferably acts as a complete peripheral seal in both of the forms of Figs. 1 and 2.

The bulb 10 is, in the preferred form, a more or less nipple-like bulb formed of some, resilient material, such as natural or synthetic rubber, plastic, or the like. The bulb itself may have an extended dispensing nipple 13, and such a nipple is usually molded in place and is completely closed until the ultimately user snips off the end of the nipple, say along the line 13, so as to provide a discharge opening for the bulb. The base of the bulb, in the form shown, is considerably thickened and includes an outer peripheral flange 14 which is stretched and applied over the outside of-the body 5 of the can, so as to tightly hug the outside of thecan body. The thickened base 14 of the bulb is preferably provided with an annular channel16 to -t over and rather tightly embrace the bead 17, as will be clear from the drawings. The thickened base is preferably further provided with a second annular fiange or bead 18, kwhich is located inwardly of the edge and in position to bear down upon the outer peripheral edge of the division sheet 11, in Fig. l,- and thereby serve toV securely hold the division sheet 11 to the can top.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, the parts of the nipple are the sarneas shown in Fig. 1, and the internalflange 18 preferably does engage the outer periphery of the division sheet or friction closure 12, so as to act as an additional powder seal, even though the division sheet 12, in Fig. 2, is yin the form of a more or less tight closure orplug. i

The division sheet 11 of Fig. l is provided with yone or more small apertures 1g, to ypermit small arnounts or charges of powder to pass from the body of the can 5 into the bulb 10 when the dispenserv is inverted or tilted from the position shown in the drawings. In the form showni in Fig. 2, the friction closure or division sheet 12 is provided with small apertures120, corresponding to the like apertures in the' disc 11 and for the same purpose. Thus, inthe forms shown in Figs. l and 2, the dispensing bulbs may be removed andthe disc 11 lifted off or the closure 12 pried out, after which the cans may be filled or relled wi-th powder to be dispensed. When the cans are filled, the division sheet'11 isr simply laid in place, or, if a closure 12 is employed, itisl preferably' forced down friction-tight, after which-the thickened Ybase of the bulb is stretched, as heretofore'described, over the'top ofthe can and the canA bead, and the annular bead118 on the bulb normally rests on and securely holdsv the divisionsheet 11 in place and acts asv av seal or further'seal'iinl boththe forms shown in Figs.'l and 2.-` Y

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the can parts and bulb parts are the same as corresponding parts in Fig. 2, but in Fig. 3 the can has been inverted and the bulb 10 has been fitted and secured over what was termed the bottom of the can of Fig. 2. While the bottom 6 of the can of Fig. 2 is solid, orfimperforate, the part 21 of the can of Fig. 3 is now the top and is provided with one or more small apertures 20. The closure 22 of Fig. 3 is the same as, and corresponds exactly to, the division sheet or member 12 of Fig. 2, but, in the form shown in Fig. 3, the closure 22 is imperforate, while, as heretofore stated, the member 21 corresponding to the lbottom 6 of Fig. 2 is perforated. Thus, in the form shown in Fig. 3, the can may be filled and refilled by removing the friction-tight closure plug 22, and without disturbing the relationship between the can and the dispensing bulb 10.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the parts of the can are the same as in Fig. 3, except that the top 25 and bulb 10' are not crimped or secured to the can body in precisely the same fashion as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4, the division sheet or top of the can simply rests on the outwardly directed shelf 26, and the bulb 10 has an outwardly directed. bead. orfoot ange. 27 resting on top of the top member or divisionr sheet 25. The can body is beaded over as indicated at' 28 so as to rigidly hold the top member'25, andlth'ebead' or flange 27,. securely and permanentlyfintplace ont the top` of the can'. In the formillust-rated, I:L employ an= annular washer 29, preferably of metal, over the top of the ilange 27, so that bead 28 engages themetal. washer 29/ rather than'` the soft ange, which. mightbe injured. The. division sheet orv top 25,V shownin Fiig 4, isV providedwith one or more aperturesI 20" which serve the same purpose as the corresponding apertures previously described. The bottom: of the can in Fig: 4. is: or may be exactly the. same as the bottomv in Fig; 3,A whereinA the bottom friction cap or closure plug 22 el'oses-` the large til-ler aperture in the bottomI of the can.. Thus, in: the. forms shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bottom closures. 22 may' be"l removed and the cans i'illed or refilled without, inI anywi'se disturbing the relationship betweem thes cans and thel bulbs.

ImFig; 5,. the parts are shown asin Fig. 1, except that the `bulb110f does not' have: such a pronouncedy thickened portion. fitting the can body. The form shown inl Figi. 5 contemplates a bulb madeV of plastic, which is not.V as elastic asrrubber and: therefore isnot stretched to the same extent to go over the can. bead. The plastic bulb has. a groovev to fit the bead. 17l and holds securely. The plasticy bulb is readily removed or replaced without asA muchrstretching as. in. the: other forms, and a finger tab 14; is helpful in removing. or replacing. the bulb.` Itis understoody that. anyv of the'bulbs shown in' Figs. 1, 2,A 3',..or.4 could be. made vof plasticl or the like;

Various devicesl have been illustrated for permitting a ow of powder from the main storage body of the can. intov the bulb,. and,y when the nipples are clipped, aperturesare provided for thedispensing. of the powder from' the bulb to the'place; desired, such as an ant nest,.cracks ini the walls, etc. Inusey the can is. simply inverted so thatthe nipple .13y is extendedV generally downwardly and the bulb` is compressed, as between the thumb andthe first finger. A considerable. draft is thus produced' through. the nipple'13-and powder from the inside ofthe bulbis ejectedfrom; the nipple 13, and, it is believed, at thel same time some'of the air in the bulb when compressed passes through the holes such as 19-20 so as.

to stir up the powder directly over theholes and facilitate thek discharge of smallquantities of powder from the body ofthe can' intoy the bulb.

When the bulb is compressed to dispense powder, the air rushes out of the nipple 13 and powder is entrained and the resultis a cloud of powder rather than wasteful, intermittent: slugs. The division sheets between the can bodies and bulbs are very important in feeding the powder from the fans to the bulbs in the proper quantities. Any meansy for adjustingr the passages between the body and bulb may be employed but the adjustment provided by varyng the number of apertures through the division sheets is very satisfactory.

The cans and bulbs are very simple in construction and are therefore relatively cheap to produce, and the dispenser has been found to be very versatile and is effective in the dispensing of powders such as insect powders and the like.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail and preferred forms illustrated, it is to be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

, 1. In a powder dispenser, a can having an upstanding bead about the top edge, a cover part at the top to close the top of said can, said cover part having one or more small apertures for passage of small amounts of powder from saidi can, a dispensing bulb of elastic material on- Said can, said dispensing bulb havingV a small aperture for dispensing powder, said elastic bulb having a thickened bot-tom edgeV sprung over they top of` said upstanding bead ony said can and holding thereon by its inherent resiliency, said bulb h'avingfan integral elastic bead at the inside within saidupstanding bead on said can and resting on saideover part, whereby said elastic bead at the inside of said upstanding bead and said thickened edge at'` the outside of and sprung-V over said upstanding bead on saidi can form a double2 seal against. loss of powder.

2. In the combination dened in claim l, said cover part being'removablefrom said can, and said elastic bead on the inside of said elastic bulb resting on said cover part and assisting inholding the latter in place on said can.

3. InA the-combination deiined in claimv 1, anv elongated' generally radial linger tabprojecting from saidthickened edge on said bulb to assist in removing and replacing said bulb on saidI can.

References Cited inithe file kof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

